Typewriter carriage assembly

ABSTRACT

A carriage assembly for selectively displacing a printing head of a typewriter or the like across an information carrier such as paper which is supported by a platen or the like comprising, a carriage adapted to be mounted on the typewriter at a fixed distance from the typewriter platen, a printing head including a plurality of pins which are adapted to selectively impact against paper to record a type character thereon, and means for selectively displacing the printing head in response to variations in paper thickness for maintaining a relatively constant separation between the paper and the printing head whereby the impact energy of the pins will be relatively constant so that a uniform typed text will be produced.

United States Patent 1 Krauss et a1.

1 1 TYPEWRITER CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY Triumph Werke Nurnberg A.G., Nuremberg, Germany [22] Filed: July 5, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 376,723

[73] Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 14, 1972 Germany 2234616 [52] [1.8. CI 197/1 R; 346/139 C; 101/9305 [51] Int. Cl. 341,1 3/05 [58] Field of Search 197/1, 18, 49, 55, 126, 197/128, 127; 346/76, 74, 139 C; 235/619;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,317,017 5/1967 Young .0 197/1 R 3,481,269 12/1969 Brown 101/269 X 3,653,291 4/1972 Babcock 90/132 [451 Sept. 9, 1975 Primary Examiner-Edgar S. Burr Assistant Examiner R. T. Rader Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Joseph R. Spalla; Spencer T. Smith [57] ABSTRACT A carriage assembly for selectively displacing a printing head of a typewriter or the like across an information carrier such as paper which is supported by a platen or the like comprising, a carriage adapted to be mounted on the typewriter at a fixed distance from the typewriter platen, a printing head including a plurality of pins which are adapted to selectively impact against paper to record a type character thereon, and means for selectively displacing the printing head in response to variations in paper thickness for maintaining a rela tively constant separation between the paper and the printing head whereby the impact energy of the pins will be relatively constant so that a uniform typed text will be produced,

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures TYPEWRITER CARRIAGE ASSEMBLY The present invention relates to printing devices which include a printing head having a plurality of pins or stylii which are selectively impacted against an information carrier such as paper which is supported on a platen or the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure for assuring that a constant separation will be maintained intermediate the typewriter platen and the printing head regardless of the thickness of the information carrier.

Among the advantages of the present invention is provision of a structure which will assure a relatively constant pin impact energy so that a visually uniform typed text will be produced.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following portions of this specification and from the accompanying drawings which illustrate, in accordance with the mandate of the patent statutes presently preferred embodiments incorporating the principles of the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view a carriage acrriage assembly for a printing head made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a carriage assembly for a printing head made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and having a second preferred embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a carriage assembly for a printing head made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and having a third preferred embodiment.

A stylus or printing head which may include a plurality of individual stylus assemblies (not shown) each having a stylus in the form of a rod-like pin, is sup ported by a carriage 12 which may be mounted on a typewriter or printer guide rod or the like (not shown) for movement transversely of the information carrier or paper 14 which may be supported on a platen or the like 15.

A paper thickness feeler in the form of a roller 16 is rotatably mounted on the printing head with the axis of the roller extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the printing head and has a diameter selected so that there will be a predetermined separation between the printing head and the information carrier. The paper thickness feeler roller 16 is biased into engagement with the paper by means of a spring element 18 which is compressively located intermediate the printing head and the carriage assembly 12, and the and, accordingly, automatically effects an automatic adjustment of the printing head in a direction perpendicular to the printing paper in response to varying paper thicknesses to maintain a relatively constant separation between the printing head 10 and the record paper 14 to thereby assure a relatively constant electrode impact energy even for pins having a very short stroke.

If desired, a band 30 (FIG. 2} having a width preferably greater than the width of the paper thickness roller may be secured, at one end, to an appropriate support 32 of the printer of typewriter and extended beneath a guide roller 34, intermediate the paper thickness feeler roller 16 and the record paper 14 and secured to a spring actuated spool 36 where it will be wound on or unwound from the spool as the carriage 12 is displaced to the left or to the right in front of the printing paper. The band is always maintained taut and in engagement with the paper thickness roller by the spring actuated spool and paper thickness variations are therefore conjointly sensed by the band and the paper thickness roller.

In the alternative, the band 30 (FIG. 3) may be secured to a suitable support in a typewriter or printer, extended intermediate the paper thickness roller 16 and the recording paper 14, around three guide rollers 34' and secured to a spring actuated spool 36'. The band is accordingly maintained in engaement with the paper thickness feeler roller and is wound on or unwound from the spool as the carriage is respectively displaced across the record paper from the right to the left or from the left to the right.

The paper thickness feeler roller may preferably be situated below the printing station in order that a portion of the line of type will not be visually blocked. When magnetic account cards, for example, are processed, the paper thickness roller feeler should be made of a nonmagnetic material. If a band is utilized as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the band will protect the information carrier since it tends to spread the forces applied to the card by the paper thickness feeler roller over a large area and particularly acts to prevent scoring of the information carrier by the edges of the paper thickness feeler roller.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim l. A carriage assembly for selectively displacing a printing head of a typewriter or the like across the information carrier thereof which is supported by a typewriter platen or the like comprising,

a carrier adapted to be mounted on the typewriter at a predetermined distance from the typewriter platen, said carriage including a printing head having a plurality of pins which are adapted to be selectively impacted against the information carrier, roller means mounted on said printing head with the axis of rotation of said roller means extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement of said carriage, means for urging said roller means towards the information carrier, a spring actuated spool, elongated band means having one end fixedly located proximate one side of the information carrier and having the other end secured to said spool so that said spool will take up or unreel said band means,

said band means interposed intermediate said roller means and the information carrier and having a length selected to permit the progressive laying down of said band means as said carriage is displaced across the information carrier.

2. A carrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring actuated spool is mounted on said carriage.

3. A carriage assembly according to claim 2, further comprising at least one guide roller mounted on said carriage for selectively changing the direction of said band means.

4. A carriage assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring actuated spool is mounted at a fixed location.

5. A carriage assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of guide rollers mounted on said carriage for selectively changing the direction of said band means.

* NI k UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 3,904,010 DATED September 9, 1975 lNVENTOR(S) Otto Krauss, Hans Eder, Peter Neiderhametner, Arend Richter,

I I and Norbert Zimmermann tt lS certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In The Specification:

Column 1 line 13 after "is" insert --the-; line24 after "view" insert --of--; same line, after "carriage" delete "acrriage"; line 52, after "12," delete "and the"; line 63, change "Of" to or Column 2, line 9, change "="'t0 --32'--; same line, change "in" to --on--; line 13, change "engaement" to --engagement--; line 24, change "embodiment" to --embodiments-- In The Claims:

Claim 1, line 5, change "carrier" to -carriage-.

Signed and Scaled this Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON Arresting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Parents and Trademarks 

1. A carriage assembly for selectively displacing a printing head of a typewriter or the like across the information carrier thereof which is supported by a typewriter platen or the like comprising, a carrier adapted to be mounted on the typewriter at a predetermined distance from the typewriter platen, said carriage including a printing head having a plurality of pins which are adapted to be selectively impacted against the information carrier, roller means mounted on said printing head with the axis of rotation of said roller means extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of displacement of said carriage, means for urging said roller means towards the information carrier, a spring actuated spool, elongated band means having one end fixedly located proximate one side of the information carrier and having the other end secured to said spool so that said spool will take up or unreel said band means, said band means interposed intermediate said roller means and the information carrier and having a length selected to permit the progressive laying down of said band means as said carriage is displaced across the information carrier.
 2. A carrier assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring actuated spool is mounted on said carriage.
 3. A carriage assembly according to claim 2, further comprising at least one guide roller mounted on said carriage for selectively changing the direction of said band means.
 4. A carriage assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spring actuated spool is mounted at a fixed location.
 5. A carriage assembly according to claim 4, further comprising a plurality of guide rollers mounted on said carriage for selectively changing the direction of said band means. 